A CaMK cascade activates CRE-mediated transcription in neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans

Yoshishige Kimura, Ethan E. Corcoran, Koh Eto, Keiko Gengyo-Ando, Masa Aki Muramatsu, Ryoji Kobayashi, Jonathan H. Freedman, Shohei Mitani, Masatoshi Hagiwara, Anthony R. Means, Hiroshi Tokumitsu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

88 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Calcium (Ca2+) signals regulate a diverse set of cellular responses, from proliferation to muscular contraction and neuro-endocrine secretion. The ubiquitous Ca2+ sensor, calmodulin (CaM), translates changes in local intracellular Ca2+ concentrations into changes in enzyme activities. Among its targets, the Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinases I and IV (CaMKs) are capable of transducing intraneuronal signals, and these kinases are implicated in neuronal gene regulation that mediates synaptic plasticity in mammals. Recently, the cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) has been proposed as a target for a CaMK cascade involving not only CaMKI or CaMKIV, but also an upstream kinase kinase that is also CaM regulated (CaMKK). Here, we report that all components of this pathway are coexpressed in head neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Utilizing a transgenic approach to visualize CREB-dependent transcription in vivo, we show that this CaMK cascade regulates CRE-mediated transcription in a subset of head neurons in living nematodes.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)962-966
Number of pages5
JournalEMBO Reports
Volume3
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 1 2002
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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